Level-up Engineering

In this engaging conversation, Rob Volk, CEO and founder of Foxbox Digital, shares insights from his extensive experience as a software engineer and leader. He discusses the necessity of a culture document, explaining how it evolved from an accidental to a formalized culture amidst scaling pains. Rob delves into creating and implementing this document, the importance of excluding empty platitudes, and fostering a healthy culture that encourages creativity and diversity. His practical advice on monitoring cultural alignment and assessing fit in hiring offers valuable takeaways for engineering teams.

Master these 3 leadership styles to build an amazing engineering team and maximize your own potential as well. In this interview with Shawn Fair, you'll learn how, when, and why to use the democratic, autocratic, and free rein leadership styles for optimal results.In this interview we're covering:The 3 base leadership stylesDetermine the best leadership style for your developer teamHow to train yourself to always find the right leadership styleCommon mistakesHow the leadership styles improve team performance and employee retention5 core leadership attributesBonus adviceExcerpt from the interview:"If you demonstrate both the three leadership styles and the five critical leadership attributes, your people will be more productive and more likely to stick around.If you become a leader doing all this to meet the needs of every individual working for you, you’re a fair boss and a rare commodity.You'll find one or two of those leaders in your lifetime in corporate America."Click here to read the full interview!

Utilize social engineering tactics to make your developer team stronger and more productive than ever before. In this interview, Olivia Liddell from Amazon Web Services shows you how to use social engineering for good.In this interview we're covering:How to measure the strength of an engineering teamThe definition of social engineeringThe process of using social engineering to build your teamExamples of social engineering in a positive contextCommon mistakes when using social engineering in managementHow to use social engineering with a new teamPossible conflicts when using social engineering on your teamThe timeframe to successfully use social engineeringExcerpt from the interview:"I used to work in higher education as a learning technologist with online courses for universities. I was on a team with 12 different program directors from areas like accounting and healthcare. I needed all program directors to give me information to get their courses up and running.Some directors gave me what I needed right away, but I had to track others down and work hard to get them to give me what I needed. As you might imagine, this resulted in delays, and I had no idea why they'd make it hard for me.Then I looked at it from the social engineering perspective. I started thinking about why these different directors would want to give me what I needed..."Click here to read the full interview!

Leading vs managing comparison, true stories of failures, shortcomings, struggles and solutions that lead to success in an executive leadership position. András Fincza, VP of Engineering, Emarsys shares his invaluable experience to tell you what you've never heard about leadership before.In this interview we're covering:The difference between managing developers and leading engineering managersHow to get direct information as an executive leaderHow to transition from engineering management to leadershipWhat new tech leaders should do in their first 60 daysHow to build trustCharacteristics of a great engineering managerHow to evaluate the performance of your engineering managersAnd more!Excerpt from the interview:"I felt overwhelmed. I felt I couldn't finish anything. I didn't feel safe making decisions.One night, in the midst of my agony, I started to write down all my duties, tasks, initiatives, and everything I couldn't finish. There were hundreds of items, and I put them into 20 categories and 80 subcategories. Then I buried my face in my hands, and the only thing I could think was, "What am I doing?"It was insane.I grabbed the list, and the next day, I reached out to my boss and mentor and asked to go out for a coffee or beer. He saw that I was upset, and I threw everything at him. The list, my feelings about it—I told him I was thinking of resigning because I couldn’t handle the pressure."Click here to read the full interview!

In this engaging discussion, Robert C. Martin, known as Uncle Bob, shares insights from his 50 years in software engineering. He emphasizes the importance of clean code as a foundation for quality software and team morale. Uncle Bob discusses metrics for assessing code quality and the severe consequences of neglecting it. He provides managerial tips on fostering a culture of clean coding and stresses the significance of honest communication with clients. Prepare to hear how the right mindset can save time and money while enhancing productivity!

You've just become a manager, and don't know where to start? You're close to a promotion, and want to be ready? It's unclear what you should focus on, how to get accepted, and how to streamline your ocean of tasks?Jeff Perry has faced all these problems, and he'll help you find the way to success in this new role.In this interview we're covering:Challenges of becoming an engineering managerMisconceptions about becoming a managerThe process to transition to managementCommon mistakes of new engineering managersNecessary skills for a great engineering managerHow to get accepted as a new managerHow to manage former teammatesAnd more!Excerpt from the interview:"Listening is critical for leaders. I struggle with this because I'm quite a talker. It’s amazing what you can learn when you ask a question and truly listen to the other person without interrupting or letting your mind wander.Here’s a quote from Stephen R. Covey, “Seek first to understand and then be understood.” We’ll understand more if we start by listening more than we talk.To help with this, I have an exercise the whole team can do together..."Click here to read the full interview!

Download the full State of Software Development 2020 report here!Discussion about the latest trends in the software industry, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with Camille Fournier (Managing Director at Two Sigma) and Juan Pablo Buriticá (taking a break, running his consultant company, ex-VPE at Splice) based on the State of Software Development 2020 report.In this panel discussion we're covering:The effects of COVID-19 on the software worldThe state of remote workThe top industry challengesThe latest recruitment trendsAnd more...Follow our guests, Camille Fournier and Juan Pablo Buriticá on Twitter!

In this interview Steven McCord, Senior Vice President of Technology explains the ins and out of entering the role of a tech leader. This is how you win at your first 100 days.In this interview we're covering:Challenges of becoming a tech leaderEarly priorities when becoming a tech leaderFocus areas for a tech leaderThings you'd do differentlyCommon mistakes for tech leadersHow can a company help you transition?Bonus advice for tech leadersExcerpt from the interview:"You have to make sure you figure out your architecture. But you shouldn't rush it. First, you need to understand the business problems.Wherever I go, I build trust and culture around me. This is interesting in WhyHotel, because it isn't a tech company. Most people here come from real estate and hospitality. It’s a challenge because we’re from different worlds.I try to breed trust by making decisions so I don’t tear people apart. I don’t just go and question, “Why did you make this decision?” Instead, I say, “I'm sure there were reasons why we made these decisions. Let's talk about them.You need to prove yourself a team player. I believe as an executive, you have to lead by example. This is how you build the culture.You have to show them that you're open and transparent about communication. You need to be empathetic and you use your emotional intelligence before you expect it from others. I demonstrate my core values of being accountable and transparent to show my reports the way.Doing this is very softy-feely. It may sound weird from a technologist, but if you can set this tone and build trust across the organization, a lot of things become easier long-term."Click here to read the full interview!

Sally Lait, Senior Engineering Manager at Monzo, shares insights on cultivating exceptional engineering culture in rapidly scaling fintech environments. She highlights key elements like transparency, diversity, and psychological safety as foundations of Monzo's success. Sally discusses innovative tools—like Slack bots—to promote inclusive language and the importance of cultural onboarding. She stresses the significance of hiring for values, recognizing signs of a weak culture, and balancing gradual change with visible communication, all while keeping the insights engaging and practical.

Interview with Greg Sabo, Engineering Manager at Asana. Learn how Asana is overcoming the lack of developers on the workforce market, and get your recruitment process to the next level!In this interview we're covering:  How to build your employer brand?  Asana's steps to recruiting engineers  How to make the final decision?  Key elements to recruiting engineers  Top channels to recruiting engineers  Intern program  What skills and traits do you need to recruit developers?  How do you evolve your recruitment process?Excerpt from the interview:"We do what we call a huddle-meeting, where everyone who has interviewed the candidate gets in a room. Each interviewer has an impression to start with, whether they think the person would be a fit for the rule, and we all discuss it.The final decision comes down to the facilitator of the huddle based on the interviewers opinions. The facilitator hasn’t interviewed the candidate, so they bring a fresh mindset to the discussion. We train our engineers to facilitate meetings and make decisions collaboratively with a group.It doesn't have to be a complete consensus."Click here to read the full interview!